


Shine

by chibimono



Series: Gramarye [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Magic, Discussions of gaslighting, Discussions of lack of agency, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Found Family, Gabe and Jack take in Jesse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kid Fic, M/M, Magic users as secondhand citizens, Magic-Users, Mild Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-22 11:54:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13166394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chibimono/pseuds/chibimono
Summary: Even among Magical Community, Fire Mages are rare and considered dangerous. Jesse is lucky Gabe and Jack could get to him first. Especially considering no one really knows the extent of his power.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AsheRhyder](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsheRhyder/gifts).



> This started as something else completely, and then became a drabble for Ashe’s birthday... then just kept going. The chapters will be short and are written as I have time and motivation, so the updates may not be regular.
> 
> The story itself is meant to be fluffy and bittersweet, but the world of the story is rather dark and angsty and not at all kind. There is no actual child abuse written in this story, but it is mentioned and vaguely discussed.

"His magic's gone feral," the Sheriff told them. "Burned a house down. Burned the carriage they tried to take him in. Local Academy won't even bother to come and get'em."

"I worry if this is wise," Jack says, guiding their carriage to the fields along the outskirts of town.

"Can't burn fire," Gabe says confidently. 

The Sheriff said they'd know it when they found him. When they reach a field turned brown from heat and see a half-burned old barn out in the distance, the red of its paint baked to a faded clay color, they know they've found the place.

They pull the carriage off on the side of the dirt road and take to the field on foot, Gabe at the lead with a basket of food. The dry grass crunched under their feet, the packed earth kicking up dust with every step. 

The make it all the way to the wooden fence of an animal pen before they hear a shrill cry of, "GO 'WAY!"

"We aren't here to hurt you," Jack says loud enough to be heard, stopping where they are and keeping their hands visible. Gabe holds up the basket like an offering. "We've brought you food. We just want to make sure you're alright."

"DUN WANT YER FOOD. GO 'WAY."

"If he's going to be a stubborn cuss..." Gabe mutters, making to drop the basket there. Jack hushes him, though he smiles.

"Can we leave the food for you?"

"NO FOOD. JUSS GO!"

"I'm leaving it anyway!" Gabe shouts, hanging the basket on the fence by way of a rusty nail.

"We'll come back tomorrow," Jack adds.

"DUN COME BACK!"

"Yes, we're coming back!" Gabe shouts again, snickering.

"NO!"

"Gabriel, stop arguing with him. He's just a child," Jack scolds, though he's trying not to laugh himself.

They leave, following the same path through dead grass, and climb into their carriage. They have supper in the tavern and stay the night at the quaint little inn.

The next day, they go back again with another basket of food. They see that the basket left yesterday has gone missing.

"I have more food!" Gabe yells before Jack can stop him.

"LEAVE IT AN' GO!"

"Show us that you're okay, first," Jack says.

"JUSS GO, THEN."

Gabe starts matching toward the barn. "I'm bringing you food! Come out here, or I'm coming in!"

A small figure runs at the open barn doors with a savage little scream, glowing against the semi-darkness inside. His hands light up and he hurls little flares of radiant fire toward them. They hit the ground at Gabe's feet and set the dying grass ablaze. 

Still, Gabe marches forward, right into the fire. It extinguishes under his steps, the smoke curling up from the ashes to wrap around him like a shadow. 

The boy howls and flings his fire again, desperate to stop Gabe from coming any closer. They hit true this time, striking Gabe over the chest and along his arm, but instead of bursting into flames, they only leave scorch marks on his clothes. His flinch is minuscule, noticed only by Jack, as he keeps coming for the boy. Gabe's eyes glow red, like embers burning within him, and he smirks at the child's growing awe.

"You... you made my fire go out," says the child, looking up with wide eyes as Gabe comes to loom over him.

The fire fades from Gabe's eyes and the smoke whips away on the breeze. "Can't burn fire, little man," he says confidently. He tosses the basket down at the boy's feet. "You hungry?"

By the telltale grumble of his belly, he definitely is, but it seems he'd much rather look up at the man before him. "How didja put it out? Water don't always put it out. But... how didja...?"

Gabe kneels down to eye-level with the kid and pulls up some of the dried grass. It goes up in flames in a split second, leaving ash and smoke to carry on the wind. "I'm a Fire Mage, too."

If the boy's eyes could get any bigger, they would.

Jack, knowing that he's much more susceptible to fire than they are, is cautious as he moves forward to join them. He takes in the boy's thin frame and matted hair, his sun-faded and scorched clothing. The deplorable outlaws that call themselves the Deadlock Coven haven't been in custody for more than a week, but the boy looks like he's been neglected for far longer.

"Would you like to learn?" Jack asks, keeping his tone soft and easy.

The boy startles at finding Jack closer than before, but doesn't light up. He shakes his head and backs away instead. "No," he says defiantly, "Because I'd say yes, an' you'd juss dump me inna 'cademy!"

Gabe growls and Jack finds himself humming softly to calm the vitriol in his partner before it surfaces. "Academies are prisons and no place for children," Gabe grits through clenched teeth.

"Trust us, we've been there." Jack's tone is solemn as he kneels down beside Gabe, putting himself at the boy's height. "If you want to learn, we'll bring you home with us to our Coven."

"Academy is never an option," Gabe adds.

The boy eyes the two of them warily. "An' you'd teach me?" he jabs a finger at Gabe.

Gabe's nod is firm. "Everything I can."

"An' no 'cademy, not ever?" he asks of Jack.

"No Academy, ever," Jack promises.

Squaring up his shoulders, the boy huffs and picks up the basket. "I'll think 'bout it. Come back t'morrow," he says, casual as could be, as he turns and heads back for the barn.

Jack is left speechless. Gabe, however, laughs hard, until tears spring to his eyes.

"I like you, kid! What's your name?" Gabe shouts to his retreating back.

The smile the kid throws over his shoulder is brighter than sunshine and full of pride. "Jesse McCree!"

"Then we will see you tomorrow, Jesse McCree!"

When they ready for bed that night, Gabe feels ichy and sore where Jesse's little flares had hit him. Removing his shirt, they find Gabe's skin has blistered and cracked, left dry as earth baked in the desert sun.

"Can't burn fire, hm?" Jack levels him with a glare.

"Well, we know he's definitely not Earthen fire," Gabe says, looking over his arm. "But what other fire is there?"

"That's the question now, isn't it?" Jack sighs, rummaging for in their luggage for a salve. As he rubs it into Gabe's skin, Jack nuzzles gently at his temple. "Does it feel strange, not being so unusual?"

Gabe laughs and pulls Jack in for a kiss. "Oh, I'm still unusual. I'm just not the only Fire Mage we've ever seen anymore."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part gets a little sad. This is where most the tags for mentions of child abuse and such come in. It gets better, though. :)

The next morning, they find the barn before they even leave the town limits, sighting a rise of smoke coming from just over the hill. As they pull the carriage over in the usual spot, they see the smoldering remains of the barn's frame.

The boy, Jesse, is laying out in the field, sprawled in the sun on a barren patch of dirt. His hand and feet look as if they've got a touch of sunburn, of all things, but otherwise, he looks unharmed.

"You tried putting a fire out yourself, didn't you?" Gabe asks, dropping another basket of food by the boy's head.

"Nah," Jesse says, casual as he pleases, as if he wasn't at all lying to Gabe's face. As if on cue, what's left of the barn collapses in a heap, Jesse cringing guiltily at the sound.

"So, what will you do now?" Gabe asks.

Jesse rolls to his side on his dirt pile, putting his back to them. They wait out his silence for a few moments before Jack chooses to break it.

"My name is Jack Morrison, and this is Gabriel Reyes. If you'd like, the Coven of Overwatch would like to give you a home," he promises. "You'll have your own room. The pantry is always full and you'd be welcome to it. We'll provide you with clothes, an education, an allowance if you do well. And a safe place to learn your limits."

The quiet stretches again before Jesse sits up. "What's the catch?"

This boy is eight or nine years old, and already knows that people have hidden and taken things from him. Jack's heart aches at thought, that another child has suffered and lost their innocence so young, all thanks to selfish, thoughtless adults. Jack hums, a low and quiet tune, for comfort.

Despite the finely tailored pants and jacket he wears, Gabe joins Jesse on the dusty ground. "The catch? Why does there have to be a catch?"

"You gotta do sumthing to get anything," Jesse says, like Gabe is a fool. "If you wanna eat, you gotta get money. If you want money, you gotta make it or steal it."

"Alright, fine," Gabe nods, his tone not much different than when he's making a deal with an adult. "Then, here's the catch: Grow up to be a good man."

For just a moment, Jesse looks crestfallen. He covers it up quickly enough with a shrug and nonchalance, but not before Jack and Gabe see it. "Well, I guess yer juss too late," Jesse sighs. "I know right from wrong, and I've done sum wrong things. I'm juss no good."

Gabe huffs out a stream of smoke, making Jesse's eyes go wide in awe. "Did you want to do these thing?" Gabe asks, his voice a little strained.

"I had to," Jesse gets defensive, scowling at Gabe.

"But did you want to?" 

"No, I didn't. But I had to!" Jesse insisted. "I didn't wanna hurt anybody! I didn't wanna burn them places down, but they tol' me to! If I wanna eat, if I wanna make my Pa happy, so I wouldn't have'ta go to a 'cademy... I had to!" His breath hitches a little at hiding a sob and he scrubs at his eyes before the shine in them could become tears.

Jack takes a deep breath and puts a little more effort into his humming. It seems to settle Jesse down from brink of crying.

Gabe, however, still fumes, sighs a frustrated breath of smoke. "What happened was wrong, but you didn't want to do it. And that doesn't make you bad, because it wasn't your fault." Shaking his head, Gabe tries his best to stay calm and gentle with the boy. "Those people lied to you. They used you. You didn't have to do any of it. But you didn't know that... Do you understand?"

"But I had to," Jesse says again, a his face crumpling, "there was nuttin' else I could do."

"We know." Jack sits down beside Jesse, his long coattail trailing in the dirt, and cautiously puts an arm around the child's shoulder. When Jesse turns into Jack's side to cry, he pulls the kid into his lap. "We know. We've seen how terrible people can be. We're sorry you had to see it, too."

"We want to give you a home," Gabe says, putting a warm hand on Jesse's back. "We want you to be happy and safe."

"Will you come with us?" asks Jack, leaning back to get Jesse to look up, but Jesse only burrows further against his shirtfront. "Or you can just stay with us at the inn in town for a few days, if you want to think about it. Get cleaned up and fed--"

"I got... I got nuttin'..." Jesse sobs against Jack. "I got nobody... Pa's in jail forever now... and I got nowhere's for a home... I burnt the barn up..."

"You can have us," Gabe says kindly, kneeling in the dirt to embrace Jack, sheltering Jesse between them.

"Why do ya even care?" Jesse asks, muffled and sad, slumped against Jack's front.

"Because people were cruel to us when we were small," Gabe says, putting his cheek against Jesse's filthy head. "And we don't want it happening to anyone else, if we can help it. We don't want it to happen anymore to you."

Jesse is quiet, save for a little shuddering breath. "... I can come home with you?" he whispers, so quiet they wouldn't hear him if he wasn't sandwiched in a hug between them.

"Of course you can," Jack smiled, giving him a tiny squeeze. "That's why we came all the way out here. Just to find you."

With a whimper, Jesse starts crying again, quiet little sobs, and Jack and Gabe look to each other helplessly over his head. 

"Hey, it's okay," Gabe soothes as Jack starts humming again.

"I'll be good," Jesse forces out on hitched little breaths, tears streaming down his face and soaking Jack's shirt. "I promise, I'll be a good boy. Please dun leave me." 

"We wouldn't dream of it," Gabe says, leaning his forehead against Jack's as they hold the child through his tears.


	3. Chapter 3

They climb into the carriage and Gabe picks up the reins to drive them back to town. He keeps up a little bit of running commentary, having a habit of filling silence if Jack won't break it himself. He tells Jesse of their home in Port Gibraltar, an old, abandoned Clan estate that fell into their hands thanks to a friend. It's taken some time, but they've finally finished most the renovations and made it livable. Their Coven is small at the moment, but very well known already. They hope to make it grow, maybe help keep more children like Jesse out of an Academy.

Jack leaves the basket of food on Jesse's lap, urging him to eat his fill. He takes bites out of everything, less to taste and more to claim it all for his own. Of course, the first thing he settles on finishing is the dessert; a fresh baked apple turnover Jack picked up that morning. He's a little too enthusiastic in eating it, needing Jack to pat him on the back and tell him to slow down. 

"No one will take it from you," Gabe says gently, holding the reins with one hand and ruffling Jesse's dirty, shaggy hair with the other.

The filling leaves a sticky mess on Jesse's hands and face. Jack wets his handkerchief from the waterskin to wipe at him, but Jesse squirms and bats at his hands. Instead of getting angry, Jack only smiles and hums until Jesse settles, grumbling quietly as he lets Jack clean him up. He goes back to rummaging around in the basket, eating a few bites more of the dried meat, the rest of a wedge of cheese.

As they come closer to town, Jesse grows quiet. If he could shrink down anymore behind the basket in his lap, he would.

"You're safe," Gabe reassures him. "As long as you're with one of us, the Sheriff won't come after you."

"You promise?"

"Oh, I most definitely promise you they won't. They know better than to try," Gabe grins, his eyes lighting from within in a way that makes him look devilish. Jesse gasps in awe.

"Gabriel, don't give him the wrong idea," Jack chastises with a quiet chuckle.

Gabe shrugs and sheds the demonic aura with a smoky sigh. "They know we are here to try finding a safe place for you. As long as you're with us, they know you're not going to harm anyone."

"But what if I do?"

"Accidents happen," Gabe says, with Jack nodding along. "As long as you didn't mean for it to happen, we'll help you. That's what Jack and I are here for."

When Jesse doesn't look convinced, Gabe gathers the reins into one hand so he can put his arm around the boy. "Jack and I have done bad things when we were young, too. We didn't know better. We had to learn the long, hard way that it wasn't our fault. And now that we know, we want to spare as many people as we can from suffering as we did."

"What did you do?" Jesse asks, his eyes wide and curious. 

Jack hums for him, something gentle and calming, the sound grounding Gabe to the present. "I... I was very little, the first time I sparked. I was afraid... of the water below us. Wooden boats catch fire, unfortunately..." Gabe swallows, and sighs. "Fire is seen as destructive. It takes an understanding that many people don't have to know that's not aways true."

Jesse looks to Jack, who nods. "People fear what they don't understand. And Fire Mages are the rarest of all Mages. Not only are you all few and far between, but the source of your gift--"

"Curse," Gabe corrects him with a wry smile.

"The source of your _gift_ ," Jack repeats emphatically, "differs from Mage to Mage. The only similarity is how strongly attuned these Mages are to their Leylines."

"We're always strong, Jesse," Gabe says with conviction. "And stronger still the more we understand our capabilities. But our power is a hindrance, especially when we want to be respected, not feared."

Jack's eyes are sad as he looks to Gabe. He's seen him broken and lost under the hysteria of others, seen him weary and mistrusting of their esteem. Jack deeply admires him for his control, for his bravado, for his determination to stand under the heavy weight of hate and ignorance. It doesn't leave Gabe without scars, without bone-deep anger and sorrow. That Gabe can still be gentle and kind and love so deeply brings Jack to tears some days.

Their greatest hope is that children like Jesse could be saved from the pain and still grow up to be good-hearted. "Respect will come," Jack says slowly, "but hopefully the price won't be so high for you, Jesse."

There's a bustling crowd of people on the roads, going about their daily business as the three of them ride into the town proper. If the locals watch them as they pass, it's because they're strangers; tall, handsome men dressed in city fashions seem to turn heads here, even without their Overwatch reputation being known. Jesse is so small between them that he's not really noticed. 

They ride to the inn and around behind it to the carriage stable, dropping the carriage off with the stable hand and thanking him for the rental. The handler glances oddly at Jesse, probably surprised by the sudden appearance of a filthy little boy with these two well dressed city slickers. Jack starts humming a pleasing tune as he tips him. "Don't worry about him," he says, his voice clear and firm. The handler blinks and accepts the money without question before going about his business.

Gabe greets the lady at the front desk, with Jack still humming, as they pass through to the stairs, but she doesn't bother to look up she's so absorbed in her book. Gabe's hand stays on Jesse's shoulder to guide him gently, seeing as how the basket of food is rather large and difficult for Jesse to see around as he carries it. They make it up the flight with no issues and enter their rented room, both men sighing as they shut and lock the door. 

They only have to stay the night. Tomorrow, they can buy the tickets they need for the evening's train and get Jesse away from this town before they even know he's been in it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This time, we get to learn a little bit about magic. :)

The room is nicer than Jesse is used to, his eyes wide as he puts the basket down. He stands as far from the furniture as he can and keeps his hands to himself.

"You can sit," Gabe says. "If you want something else to eat, we can have room service bring it."

"Everything's real fancy here," Jesse says cautiously, like he's not sure he should be allowed to touch.

Jack blinks and looks Jesse over. "You could use a bath."

"No!" Jesse says a little too fast. "I can clean up juss fine. Dun need a bath."

Jack's eyes narrow. "When was the last time you washed your hair?"

"Yesserday?" Jesse says sheepishly, knowing they see through his lie.

Gabe sighs and kneels down to Jesse's eye level, his eyes soft and understanding. "Are you... afraid of water? It's okay if you are."

"No!" Jesse says defiantly, then rubs at his arms and peeks up at Gabe through his dirty fringe. "I juss... don't like cold."

Gabe sighs, relief coming over his face, and he smiles. "Pssh, we can fix that."

"He's going to need new clothes," Jack says, thinking out loud as he shrugs out of his long coat.

Jesse's face scrunches up with a sour expression. "I dun want no fancy stuff," he waves at Jack's vest and Gabe still in his suit jacket. "It's all too stiff."

"You'll get a suit," Gabe says, taking off his own jacket and laying it over the back of a chair with Jack's. "It'll only be for special occasions, when you need to look respectable. We're not going to starch you and prop you up in a corner.” He grumbles to himself, spits the phrase ‘children being seen and not heard' rudely as he rolls up his shirtsleeves. 

Jack smiles fondly at Gabe's muttering, saying nothing as Gabe looks to him with his mouth pinched in a frown, his eyes barely hiding an old, impotent sorrow. Jack hasn't been hurt by those words in years, and he adores Gabe for still thinking he needs to protect him from them. 

Huffing, Gabe makes himself busy by heading into the in suite bathroom. Jesse trails cautiously along behind him and watches as Gabe puts the plug in the bottom of the porcelain bathtub. His little face holds a dubious expression as Gabe works at the water pump to start filling the bath. 

“Ain’t you gonna put a kettle on?” Jesse asks, looking over at the small, unlit woodstove in the main room of the suite.

“Now, why on earth would I do that?” Gabe chuckled, still cranking at the water pump. 

“‘Cause it’s cold!” Jesse cried indignantly, leaning down to splash a hand in the water.

Gabe just grins, crooked and mischievous, and works until the tub is half way full. “Jack, have you finished reading the paper?”

Crossing the main room with a few strides of his long legs, Jack appears in the doorway and tosses Gabe the local newspaper before casually leaning against the frame. Jack knows this trick well, but sticks around to watch Jesse's face. The boy just looks confused as Gabe rips off the front page, balls it up in his hand, and then sinks his hand into the water. Gabe watches Jesse, too, waiting for the moment that steam starts to rise from the water's surface. 

Jesse's eyes become huge the moment he catches on. "You made it hot!" he whoops, splashing at the water again. This time he lets his hand linger in it.

"Think you can take a bath in that?" Gabe asks, laughing at the kid's obvious excitement.

"Yes, sir!" Jesse says, striping down right there. The filthy little boy climbs into the tub with all the grace of a bull in a China shop, splashing water over the edge and almost on Gabe if he hadn't the mind to move out of harms way. Jesse sighs in pleasure, almost sinking below the surface.

Jack laughs as he rolls up the sleeves of his shirt, moving to take Gabe’s spot at the side of the tub. “I’ll scrub him up, if you’ll get something to dress him in,” Jack directs, and Gabe winks and grins at him before grabbing up his jacket and taking his leave.

“He’s gonna show me to do this, yeah?” Jesse asks Jack with big eyes. “I’m gonna learn hot water?”

“You’ll learn much more than hot water, I’m sure,” Jack smiles as he lathers up his hands and gently starts in on the birds nest on Jesse’s head. “Gabe will teach you everything he can. We just have to see how different your gift is from his.”

“There’s a difference?” Jesse squeaks, trying to turn around to look at Jack. 

Jack has to keep guiding him to sit and keep his head tilted back. “You don’t want soap in your eyes, Jesse. You’re both Fire Mages, but so far Gabe and I don’t think you use your magic quite the same way. Do you know what your _conjuration_ is?”

“Con-ger-whatist? What’s that?”

“It’s something you need for your magic to work. Gabe needs a _reagent_ , a consumable. He needs a fuel source to for his fire to work.”

“Oh, like the newspaper in the tub?”

“You’re a very smart boy,” Jack says proudly. “Do you need something to make your magic work?”

Jesse just shrugs and looks at his hands, already starting to prune. “I dunno. I juss feel warm. The more mad or scared or sumthing, the more warm it gets. Then the warm’s outside-a me and burnin’ stuff down.”

Jack falters a bit, not exactly sure what to say to that. “Well,” he finally says, “maybe finding out your Leyline will help. Have you ever seen that?” 

“You said it afore, but I dunno whatsit,” Jesse says.

“Have you been to an Observatory?”

“Nah, Pa said he knew I’s a firebug, didn’t need no smarty pants tellin’ him so.”

Jack scooped some water up and poured it carefully over Jesse’s hair, keeping the soap from his eyes. “The Observatory can tell you where your magic comes from. They show you your Leyline, the connection between you and your magic. The more you know about the source, the better you can control it.”

“So, Gabe’s been there?”

“Yes.”

“You been there?” Jesse asks, leaning his head back farther so he can actually look at Jack.

“Yes, me too.”

“You got magic?”

Jack smiles. “I do.”

“Show me?”

“That’s not...,” feeling uncomfortable, Jack’s easy smile fades. “It’s not something... to be taken lightly. But it will be easier to explain at the Observatory.”

Jesse blinks and shuffles around to look at Jack properly. “Is it dangerous... like fire?”

Jack swallows, takes a deep breath, and goes for honesty. “It’s not like fire, no... But yes, it can be dangerous.”

There’s silence between them for a few moments, with Jesse’s dark eyes searching Jack’s, as if looking for a crack in his armor or a lie in his words. Finally, the boy shrugs and goes back making the water ripple with his hands. “I guess you gotta be pretty darn strong, too, to be level with a firebug.”

Jack snorts in bemused offense, shocked into huffing laugh by the backhanded compliment. “You’re not so bad yourself, little man.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabe dad is best dad?

The town is small and quaint compared to the big cities, like Port Gibraltar and New Zurich, where Gabe usually found himself. There's three roads in total for the whole town, all intersecting in a Y-shape right in front of the Townhall and Courthouse. Gabe's destination was right next door to the public buildings, at the small jail.

A bell jangles as he steps inside, catching the attention of the Sherrif and her Deputy. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Mister Reyes," the Sherrif smiles as she rises to her feet to shake Gabe's hand.

"The pleasure is mine," he says easily, grinning with the sweet kind of charm that would make Jack roll his eyes. "I'm happy to report that we found the boy and he's willing to come with us. He won't be an issue."

"Thank the heavens, I'm most grateful to you and Cousin Jack," she says on a sigh of relief. "I couldn't let the poor thing suffer out there on his own, but there was just no way of getting him to an Academy. And I'd hate to think of any Academy willing to come out for him, can’t imagine the things they would do..."

Gabe nods solemnly. "He's safe with us now. We're glad you had the mind to contact Jack, that we could keep the kid from harm."

"Well, my only other option was the Morrison Clan, seeing as how they're only ones with reach in this region now that Deadlock is busted. And I know what they did to Cousin Jack. Might as well call an Academy."

Gabe bites his tongue and smiles grimly, fighting off the urge to voice his shared vitriol. Instead, he just breathes a gust of smoke and thinks of Jack's calming hum. "Can I see the father?" he asks.

The Sherrif signals for the Deputy to open the lockup and leads Gabe inside to a little interrogation room. "Paul McCree, you've got a visitor," the Deputy calls as he approaches the cell. He cuffs an older man and brings him in with Gabe and the Sherrif, making him sit and securing his cuffs to the table.

"I should be alright by myself," Gabe says, looking between the Sherrif and Deputy. The Sherrif smirks in understanding and gestures for the Deputy to leave. She leaves a lantern and matches for Gabe before slipping out, closing the door on her way. The room is windowless and they are swallowed by darkness the moment it shuts behind her.

"The hell is this?" the prisoner asks gruffly, pulling at his cuffs.

Gabe doesn't worry about the matches as he touches the wick of the lantern to light it. The older man's face is illuminated in a orange glow, exposing all the wrinkles and lines, but his eyes. Gabe recognizes those dark eyes, seen them on the small face now in his hotel room.

"I'm taking your son," Gabe says firmly. 

"And just who died and left him to you?" McCree demanded.

"What, you think he's going to jail with you? That's no place for a growing boy," shrugs Gabe, leaning back in his seat to avoid the lantern's glow over his face. "Jesse will be in good hands."

The man snorts. "What kinda 'cademy did you crawl outta?"

"Oh..." Gabe starts, feeling his skin sizzle, singeing his shirt under his jacket. By the way old man McCree is drawing back, Gabe's eyes must have turned to embers. "... only the worst kind."

"Hellfire and damnation," the prisoner mutters in wide-eye fear.

Gabe just grins, smoke rolling from between his teeth. "You're very close. Exactly the reason I'd never let an Academy take Jesse. He's a good boy and an Academy would just destroy him. The Coven of Overwatch wants to give him a home. He's agreed to come with us."

"Overwatch? Those jumped up hooligans that think they can take on the Mage Council?"

Gabe tilts his head and glares at the insult. "Deadlock scum calling me a hooligan? We are the Mage Council now, have been for a few years, if you'd bother to check the papers. Considering your position in the Deadlock Coven and your son's unusual disposition, following the Mage community should have been your highest priority."

McCree looks shamed, his eyes finding interest in his hands. "Why bother coming all this way? What would you even want with my son?"

"Everybody knows that magic like his will be treated as a curse," Gabe spits. "But it doesn't have to be that way. I've survived the hell that was an Academy, and believe me, it was every bit like hell. Jesse doesn't have to live like that. _I won't_ let him live like that. And if you have any heart for your son, you won't let him live like that, either." 

The room falls silent and Gabe watches the older man. He sees how his face slowly crumples and tears form in his dark eyes. 

"I'm going away for a long time, iffin I ain't hanged," McCree says, his voice thick and cracking with sorrow. "I ain't got much say on a freeman's life, and I'd... I'd like it best for my boy to be free. Maybe be something better than his old man. Since I've taken him from his momma, I've only done him wrong. For once, I'd like like to... I'd like to know he's been done right. Take care of Jesse for me. Make him a man worth sitting with the Mage Council..."

Gabe sighs and the lantern goes out, blanketing them in darkness again. He rises from his chair and opens the door, letting the light of day flood the room. "I'll make sure of it," he promises.

Shaking hands once more with the Sherrif, Gabe straightened his jacket and hope he doesn't smell too much like smoke. He makes his way across the street to the general store and greets the clerk with a charming smile as he looks into buying a few bolts of fabric. He has a little boy to dress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of this posting (12/31/2017), this is the last of the previously parts to this story. Updates will be spotty from here on, until the fic is completed. 
> 
> There is a winter holiday fic, set several years in the future from Shine, that I will be posting soon (tomorrow). It does have spoilers for Jesse’s magic, so if you want to wait until Shine is complete to read, I’d understand. If you like being spoiled, that’s okay, too. :) Just warning now, there is mention of canonical attempted murder, discussion of murder, discussion of a character under abusive control of their family, and pre-McHanzo.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. Was working on a fic for the R76 bigbang. Now I have a little time to poke at this again. :)

Jack dresses Jesse in one of Gabe’s shirts, a long sleeved button up in a deep burgundy that’s more than big enough to work as a night shift for the boy. He’s trying to detangle and maybe trim Jesse’s mess of hair when Gabe returns. He approves of the color on Jesse, and then shows the meager options in bolts of cloth he picked up in the general store. 

Jesse is good enough to stay still for Jack and is equally as good for Gabe when he takes a measuring tape from his travel sewing kit and sizes up the boy. Gabe gets to work on a rough cut and pins together shapes for a shirt, a pair of slacks, and a pair of underpants. He sits by an open window, where the afternoon light is best, and starts stitching.

As soon as Jack claims he’s done all he can for the boy’s hair to make him presentable, Jesse clambers up onto the back of Gabe’s chair to sit in the sun with him and watch his hands. 

He’s a ball of curiosity, now that he seems to have found some comfort with Jack and Gabe, and has taken to asking as many questions as he can about everything.

“Where we goin, again?”

“To Port Gibraltar.”

“How we gettin there?”

“By train.”

“I like trains. How long’s it gonna take?”

“About three days.”

“Is Port Gribbler a big place?”

“Port Gibraltar is a Capital city. It’s a very big city.”

“With lotsa peoples?”

“Thousands of people.”

“You stitch all yer clothes, too?”

“I have a machine at home that makes it faster, but yes, I do sew Jack’s and my own clothes.”

Jack tries to read, but he finds the sight of the small boy practically curled around Gabe’s head as he sits on the back of the comfy chair amusing. Jesse has a difficult time sitting still, being a growing boy full of energy, but Gabe is as patient with him as he is with his sewing. 

As the afternoon progresses, so does the sun across the sky, shifting the angle of its light through the window. Jack watches curiously as Jesse abandons his perch on the back of the chair to follow it. First, moving to sit on the armrest beside Gabe, then to the ottoman Gabe rests his feet on, then to patch of evening sunshine at Jack’s feet. 

Jack doesn’t think the room to be that chilled, but the boy is used to lounging in the warmth of the sun, if their couple of visits to the barn were anything to go by. Considering how eagerly he got into the hot bath, the child probably absorbs heat. If that is the case, he probably isn’t a Catalyst class like Gabe, who needed a reagent. Perhaps he is a Dynamo class Mage, needing to charge his conjuration like a battery? A visit to the Conservatory will clear things up, Jack knows.

They have their dinner delivered to their room from the nearby tavern. It’s a hearty stew with crusty bread, something that warms from the inside out. Jesse picks around all the vegetables to eat the meat and sops up the broth. It takes come cajoling before Gabe is able to get Jesse to eat the potatoes and carrots, but the boy still won’t eat the peas or onion. The adults count it as a win and make sure Jesse gets his fill of bread.

By bedtime, Gabe has underpants and pants made for Jesse, but is still working on his shirt. A trundle pulls out from under the foot of the bed, complete with mattress and bedding, to give Jesse his own place to sleep. Yawning and rubbing his eyes, Jesse stubbornly claims he isn’t tired. 

“We are,” Jack says, folding and putting away his and Gabe’s clothes from the day. “It’s been a long day for us. We’ll sleep, but maybe you’ll like to enjoy your warm blankets?” It’s enough to convince Jesse to be tucked in for the night. 

Gabe and Jack climb into the bed, and before Gabe can draw the lights out from the lamps, Jack cups his face and gives him a goodnight kiss. It’s tender and slow, easily comminucating all his feelings for his friend and partner, leaving Gabe practically melting and Jack feeling breathless.

They aren’t used to the affronted squawk and little eyes peering at them from the foot of the bed. “Yuck, you share cooties?!”

“There’s nothing wrong with sharing cooties,” Gabe says defiantly. “I love Jack’s cooties.”

“I love Gabe’s cooties, too,” Jack says, his arm curling possessively around Gabe. “Just wait until you find someone you’ll want to share your cooties with.”

They could barely see his face, but by the scrunch of his eyes, they can tell he’s making a childishly disgusted face. “I don’t have cooties!”

Gabe curls into Jack’s side, playfully pressing chaste kisses into whatever bare skin he can reach. Jack smiles and kisses Gabe’s forehead. “You will, one day,” Jack says. “You will and won’t even remember why you thought it was so gross.”

Jesse pops up enough over the foot of the bed to give them a raspberry before ducking back down and settling in bed. Gabe takes it as a sign to put the lights out, drawing the fire from the wicks without even leaving the bed. It’s not long after that they can hear Jesse’s soft breaths deepen in sleep. 

Jack is used to the heat Gabe puts off in his sleep, loves wrapping him up in his arms on winter nights, but in warmer nights, even Jack overheats. It’s not unusual for him to throw the covers off and roll away, only to wake up chilled and roll back into Gabe’s side

As he rolls back over that night, there’s a warm little lump between him and Gabe.

“We have a little heat parasite,” Gabe chuckles when he realizes Jack is awake. 

“So, you’ve noticed it, too. Should we move him back to his bed?” Jack asks, sitting up.

Gabe sighs. “I’ve already tried. He wormed his way back in as soon as I dozed off.”

“Well...” Jack pulls the blankets up and tucks them around Jesse, “lets try not to squish him.”

Leaning over Jesse, Gabe gives Jack a sloppy, misaimed kiss in the dark, getting him on the chin. They settle back down to sleep, with Jesse cradled between them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Six months later, we have an update! I’ve made myself busy with so many projects, but I haven’t forgotten this. Merry Christmas to my buddy Ashe Rhyder and very big thank you to Spotted for all the comments and encouragement. I can’t tell you how much each comment you’ve left meant to me. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait so long before the next installment.

Regardless of how well he sleeps, Jack is always up just after dawn breaks on the horizon. It doesn’t help that he’s just west of his birth home in the Prairie Lands, the air drier, but still holds the familiar taste of sunshine and fields. It’s not a familiarity he enjoys and he wishes very much to return to the salty tang of the Southern Coast.

He sits up and stretches, and when he leans over to kiss Gabe’s forehead, he’s greeted by bright little eyes peering from the mound of blankets. 

“Mornin’!” Jesse says in a graceless stagewhisper, considerately attempting to not wake Gabe.

Luckily, Gabe is the type to sleep heavier the longer he’s been asleep, so quiet conversation won’t wake him easily. Jack mumbles a greeting back and gets up for the day, going about his daily ablutions. He’s pleasantly surprised to find Jesse following him around like a duckling. The boy washes his face and brushes his teeth along with Jack and watches him intently as he shaves.  He asks questions in his hushed voice.

“How come you shave everything, but Gabe keeps his fancy beard?”

“Because I like being shaven and Gabe likes being fancy.”

“Is it the same reason your hair is short and Gabe’s is long?”

“Yep, it’s just how we like things.”

“Can I grow my face and hair like Gabe’s?”

“If that’s what you’d like.”

“Can I cut it all short, like you?”

“If that’s how you want it.”

“What if I did half my head like you and the other half like Gabe?”

Jack stops shaving to look at Jesse’s expectant little face. “It would be strange, but if it makes you happy...”

“Do you care what I do?”

Jack cleans off his razor and puts it away, then wipes the foamed soap from his face. Feeling clean and respectable again, he kneels down to level with Jesse. “I do care. Gabe cares, too. All of Overwatch will care when they get to meet you. As long as you aren’t hurting yourself or others, we want you to do what makes you happy. If you want to shave yourself bald or grow it all out like a wild man, then that’s just fine.”

“Pa always said I needed to do as he told me, no matters what,” Jesse says seriously, a frown pulling at his mouth, “or he’d leave me at a ‘cademy.”

Putting his arms around the child, Jack hugs him tightly. “Gabe and I, we’d like you to listen to us for your wellbeing, but you are your own person. And an Academy is never an option, so don’t worry about that anymore.”

“Is everyone in Overwatch as nice as you and Gabe?” 

Jack thinks about how grumpy Torbjörn can get and chuckles. “Usually.”

After Jack dresses, he leaves Jesse behind to order breakfast for them all at the tavern and have it delivered to their room. He takes the long way back to the inn, checking a few shops and stopping by the train station to see the time for the soonest train to head east. He buys three tickets for the afternoon train, then goes about picking up a few things for the trip. He checks in at the local Vishkar office to have them send word back to the Watchtower that they’d soon be heading home.

By the time Jack gets back to their room at the inn, his breakfast has gone cold. Gabe is awake and dressed and has managed to get Jesse dressed as well. The little boy is preening over his new, clean clothes in the mirror beside Gabe as the older man works his long curls back into a neat braid. Jack takes the ribbon from between Gabe’s lips and easily ties off the braid for him, earning a kiss to his temple in thanks.

“Jack, what took you so long? Your food is cold now,” Jesse says, peering at his plate as Jack sits down to eat it.

“We’re leaving today, so I bought some things to take with us. Gabe will warm it for me, so I wasn’t worried.”

Jesse clambers onto the chair beside Jack and leans on the table to get a good view as Gabe pulls a piece of crust from Jack’s toast and crumbles it in his palm. He uses the crumbs like kindling and his hand glows like embers, heat spreading from his fist. He opens his hand over Jack’s food and in just a few moments it begins to sizzle, the aroma of cooked food filling the air again. 

“S’it hot?” Jesse asks, bouncing in his seat. 

Jack spears a piece of potato with his fork and offers it to Jesse. “Careful now.”

Without hesitating, Jesse sticks it in his mouth and nearly burns his tongue. Gabe has to pour him some water from the pitcher as Jesse hops off the chair and tries fanning at his mouth to cool it off. He drinks down the whole glass before he settles, hanging his poor tongue out of his mouth for a moment. “Wow, dat’s hawt.” 

Absorbs heat, but still susceptible to burns... What kind of fire could Jesse possibly be? Jack wonders.

After Jack finishes eating, the three of them pack up and then straighten the room. Jack shows them some of the baked good he picked up to snack on in between meals on the train as he puts them into the big basket that once had Jesse’s treats in it. They task Jesse with carrying it and he takes his job seriously despite the size of it. 

They check out of the inn and take the walk through town, Jack and Gabe each with a suitcase and little Jesse tucked close between them. One or the other has a protective, guiding hand on Jesse’s shoulder, whisking him through the crowds before the people really even notice he’s there. 

The train is there when they get to the station, the new arrivals still filtering out as the boarders move to get on. Jack shows the tickets to the stationmaster and can feel Jesse trying to shrink beside him, a little fearful of the scrutiny as the stationmaster checks them over. Satisfied, he directs them to their car and the three of them board, releasing a collective sigh of relief as they shut the door to their private overnight cabin.

Jesse beelines for the window, taking in the scenery, whooping with joy as the train eventually starts up. Jack sits beside Gabe and puts an arm around his shoulder. They share a smile. They’re going home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on twitter @chibimonoakuno :)

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback and comments are welcomed!  
> This was also posted on tumblr @ badsleeptwins.


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